I'm Turning 60...: Mother's Day recipe

Showing posts with label Mother's Day recipe. Show all posts

Monday, May 6, 2019

Anna Sultana’s Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

The weather here hasn’t been at all Spring-like.

We’ve had hail and snow during the past week.

Well, Spring weather or not, Mother’s Day is coming this Sunday.

This cake always reminds me of my parents.

Ma and I made it when they came up for a visit.

Pop would sit and supervise us as we spread the chocolate filling.

Every so often he’d say something like

Do you use that to lay bricks? or

Can you do stucco work, too?

Ma would give him THE LOOK and he’d wander off until it was time to eat.

As all good things are this cake that is a bit of a project.

You can spread out the work load - bake the cake layers the day or two before.

The layers also freeze well, if you want to lighten the work load this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Hints:

If you are using all purpose flour in this recipe remove two tablespoons from each cup of flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons from the 1/4 cup.

About the chocolate…

When we made this recipe back in the 90s, a square of baking chocolate was 1 ounce.

For some reason a chocolate company - who couldn’t possible have a baker on staff - has decided to repackage their product so that 4 itty bitty rectangles equal 1 ounce.

I don’t know how your chocolate is packaged, so I’m giving weights.

Use the same bowl for the three meltings without washing after the first two uses.

Just pick a bowl that's large enough for the 4 ounces and coffee.

About the sour cream… use any fat content you prefer.

If you don’t want to use all three layers at one time you can freeze a layer to serve some other time.

About the filling…

If it looks too thick, add a little more cream.

If it’s too thin, add a little more icing sugar.

Don’t have 2 Tablespoons strong coffee? No problem.

Put 2 Tablespoons of water and instant coffee (either regular or decaf) in the bowl.

Just before serving you can top the cake with raspberries or sliced strawberries if you’re feeding the gang and it will all be eaten at one seating.

If this isn’t going to happen the berries could end up looking a bit sad.

Not to worry. here are other topping ideas: shaved chocolate or chocolate chips, whole or chopped nuts, unwrapped chocolate bonbons, maraschino cherries, cookies, frosting mounds, peaks or flowers…

Have fun with it.

Another good cake for special events is

Anna Sultana’s Mocha Cake and Mocha Fudge Frosting

Chocolate Cake

Place the rack in the centre of the oven.

grease 3 8 inch round pans

Preheat oven to 350º F

Sift together into a medium bowl

2 1/4 Cups cake & pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place in a large mixer bowl

1/2 Cup butter, softened

2 1/4 Cups lightly packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

Cream on medium speed of electric mixer for 5 minutes.

While the butter is being creamed, place in a microwaveable bowl

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Melt in microwave.

After the butter mixture has been beaten for 5 minutes, beat in

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

the melted chocolate

While you’re adding the dry ingredients and sour cream, heat to boiling

1 Cup water

Add the dry ingredients alternately with

1 Cup sour cream

Mix lightly until smooth.

Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin. Don’t worry. It’s okay.

Pour the batter into the greased pans.

Bake until the cake layers are done, about 35 minutes.

A toothpick inserted in the centre of each should come out clean.

Yes, test each one. Trust me.

Let the 3 cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the pans and place the layers on the racks.

Let them cool completely.

Chocolate Filling

Place in a microwaveable bowl

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Melt in microwave.

Place in a large mixer bowl

1/2 Cup butter, softened

1/3 Cup light cream

the melted unsweetened chocolate

Beat until creamy.

Gradually add in

3 to 3 1/2 Cups sifted icing sugar

Beat until light and fluffy.

Cut 2-inch-wide strips of wax paper.

Place a layer upside down on a serving plate.

Arrange the wax paper under the cake to protect the plate.

Spread some filling over the layer with a spatula.

Place the second layer on top and spread some filling over it.

Place the third layer on top. Do not cover it with the filling.

Smooth the remaining filling over the sides.

Chill 30 minutes.

Remove the wax paper strips.

Chocolate Glaze

Place in a microwaveable bowl

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 Tablespoons strong coffee

Heat in a microwave until the chocolate is melted.

Remove from microwave.

Add

3 Tablespoons butter, softened

Stir until smooth.

Spread the glaze over the top layer and let it drizzle down the sides.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Anna Sultana’s Sweet Heart Pound Cake for Mother’s Day

The weather’s been so odd lately.

Guess what - Mother’s Day is this weekend.

You’ve been reminded.

A light cake goes well with anything, whether it's a formal meal or a barbecue.

Speaking of Mothers and cake, I just remembered a cake that Ma surprised us with one Spring day.

She told us that the clipping said that it had a sweet tart flavour.

I forget who started it, but we started to tease her about making a sweet heart cake.

Well, you know how family jokes go… from then on we called it Ma’s Sweet Heart Cake.

And we enjoyed it every time she made it.

Actually, that name suits it.

It’s delicious and uses up whatever you have in your fruit bowl.

In my book, anything that is that accommodating is a sweet heart of a recipe.

Hints:

You can line a greased regular loaf pan with parchment paper leaving about a 2 inch overhang on the sides, so that you can remove it easily.

This is a cake that is open to suggestions.

You can use 1 Tablespoon each of your favourite three from the following: orange zest, lemon zest, lime zest and grapefruit zest, finely grated, instead of 3 Tablespoons of just one type of zest.

Or you can use half and half, or two to one. Your choice. It’s your cake.

Zest is a handy thing to have. You can wrap zest in plastic wrap or aluminum.

You can also place it in a small freezable bag or container.

It stays good up to a month.

Instead of the orange or lemon extract you can use 2 Tablespoons of any citrus juice or vanilla extract in the cake.

You can also top the cake with a Simple Syrup:

Place in a heatproof measuring cup or bowl

3 Tablespoons water

Heat water in a microwave until hot.

Add

1/4 Cup sugar

Stir to dissolve.

Stir in

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon lime zest, finely grated

Allow simple syrup to cool to room temperature.

Brush the simple syrup over the completely cooled cake.

Let the simple syrup soak into the cake before serving, at least 15 minutes.

About the syrup…

instead of the lime juice and zest, you can use orange, lemon or grapefruit.

If you’re in a rush, or Mom prefers a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, that works, too.

Like I said: it’s your cake.

Your Mom prefers banana pound cake? No problem. Make

Anna Sultana’s Banana Pound Cake With Caramel Glaze

Sweet Heart Pound Cake

Heavily grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

Sift together in a medium bowl

1 3/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Set aside.

Combine in a small bowl

1/4 Cup sour cream

1 teaspoon orange or lemon extract

3 Tablespoons of orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit zest, finely grated (or see hints)

Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a large mixer bowl

1 Cup butter

1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition

4 large eggs

Add half of the dry ingredients into the large mixer bowl.

Blend on low speed until just combined.

Add in all of the sour cream mixture. Mix until well blended.

Add in the remaining dry ingredients. Blend just enough to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place into the preheated oven.

Bake for 70 to 75 minutes.

A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Remove from oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake.

Carefully remove the cake from the pan.

Place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

When cooled, place the cake on a pretty serving platter.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting:

Frosting

Place in a medium bowl

3 Cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract

Add

1/4 Cup water gradually, beating until the glaze is smooth.

Spread the frosting over the cake.

Sprinkle over the top

3 Tablespoons of lemon or orange zest, finely grated

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

Look to the southeast after dark to see Jupiter, shining at magnitude -2.5 in Libra. The king of the planets reached its opposition to the Sun on May 8th, so it’s up practically all night this month. Jupiter is edging slowly westward toward from the 2½-magnitude star Alpha (α) Librae (Zubenelgenubi) nearby.

May 15 - New Moon, 7:48 a.m. In this phase, the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight and is completely invisible to the naked eye.

May 17 - Look to the west-northwest sky at dusk to see the slender crescent Moon, 9-percent illuminated, to the left of the brilliant planet Venus. Venus hangs at practically the same height, moderately low in the west-northwest during twilight all through the month of May.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Anna Sultana’s Simnel Cake / Mother’s Day Cake / Easter Cake

My grandmother lived with us.

She had worked as a cook for a British family in Malta.

Mothering Sunday was one of the British customs we continued to observe while I was growing up in New York.

Mothering Sunday may have originally derived from a 16th-century practice of visiting the 'mother church’, the main church in the region, on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Historically, this was also a time when domestic servants were given time off to travel and visit their families.

I'll to thee a Simnel Bring

'Gainst thou go'st a-Mothering

So that, when she blesseth thee,

Half that blessing thou'lt give me.

Robert Herrick

Just so you know…

The 11 balls represent the 11 Apostles, except for Judas.

That’s why this cake can also be served for Easter.

Hints:

If your Mom likes a bit of a kick, 2 Tablespoons of sherry or her favourite drink (if it goes well with the fruit) may be brushed on the cake before adding the apricot jam.

If the cake is browning too quickly, cover with foil after an hour of baking.

During the baking seasons of Lent and Advent I pick up a dozen small eggs.

They won’t work exactly for the recipes, but they are just enough when I need to beat an egg for glazing, as in the end of this recipe.

If you have time, you can decorate the cake with crystallized or plain flowers.

Some also wrap a ribbon around the side.

Most don't.

At Easter the middle of the top of the cake can be decorated with small wrapped chocolate eggs, tiny chickies and such.

The kids love that!

Simnel Cake

Grease an 8 inch springform pan

Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

Line the bottom and sides with greased parchment paper.

In a medium bowl mix well together

1 1/2 Cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons allspice

In another medium bowl combine

1/4 Cup flour

1 1/3 Cups golden raisins
1 Cup dried currants
2/3 Cup candied cherries, rinsed, dried and quartered
1/4 Cup candied mixed fruit peel, chopped
2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest

Divide into 3 equal portions

1 pound almond paste

Roll out one portion of the almond paste to form an 8 inch circle.

Set the remaining portions aside for later.

Preheat oven to 300º F

In a large mixer bowl, beat at medium speed

1 Cup margarine, softened
1 Cup light brown sugar

Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add, one at a time

4 large eggs

Beat well after each addition.

Beat in the flour mixture until just blended.